Brad Binder recorded his best finish in 10 races in Aragon. Picture: Red Bull KTM
His RC16 bike is not quite there yet, but the Argon MotoGP was an indication for Brad Binder that Red Bull KTM is moving in the right direction.
With an improved bike and some good fortune, Binder finished Sunday’s main race in fourth place, his best finish in ten races. His 11 points in the main race and four for his sixth place in Saturday’s sprint race ensured he left Spain with a solid points haul.
Binder remains sixth in the MotoGP world championship race, three points behind his 2025 team-mate Pedro Acosta. Jorge Martin (299) retook the lead from Pecco Bagnaia (276), with the rejuvenated Marc Marquez (229) retaking third place from Enea Bastianini (228) after his emphatic double in Aragon.
After starting from seventh on the grid, Binder was in sixth when Bagnaia and Alex Marquez took each other out on lap 18 in a battle for third. Binder gained two places and breathed down Acosta neck for a while before aborting his challenge. Acosta’s third place broke a lengthy Ducati podium lock-out.
“I tried my best to get Pedro but there was nothing left from the rear!” Binder told the KTM website.
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“A really tricky race. I needed a good start but I spun off the line again and all the way to Turn 1. I managed to pick my way through and pass a few guys.
“It was difficult not to make mistakes because the front tire was cooking until the end of the race. We tried something different with the balance of the bike this weekend and it seemed to work over the distance.”
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Binder is confident the small gains in Aragon will put KTM in good stead for part two of the double header that heads to San Marino this week.
“I think we have made a small step and we’ll try again next week.”
Brad Binder’s brother Darryn Binder finished ninth in Aragon to record his third successive top ten finish in Moto2. The Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP rider is 16th in the title race on 32 points.
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